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Old 04-02-2012, 10:14 AM   #121
jackie adams
Location: CA
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 73
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Re: The Founder's Teaching Ability

The question is, did the Founder actually have some degree of pedagogical skill? Did he deliberately refrain from disseminating information in order to maintain superiority, or did he teach to the extent of his ability unable to disseminate all the information he had.

I skimmed through all the many responses, I maybe saying the same thing as others. The Founder has passed away. The two questions have importance is to his direct students. I would suspect that if they never complained than this isn't an issue.

Aikido isn't the only art I have experienced, where some instructors will hold information from their students. In school, when in the 5th grade you learn basic math skills. The teacher withholds all their knowledge from the class when teaching because the students are not developed their math skill to understand the more complex mathematics. It is not uncommon for a teacher in that class to teach advance math skills to those students with a greater aptitude for math. Students who struggle with math are taught accordingly. The teacher doesn't over-whelm these student with advance information teaching to the level of comprehension.

Analogy that is a favorite of mine is school. Does any school teacher teach all the knowledge the have? The school system has grade levels where each grade level teacher teaches more information at each grade. Students that progress through the grades pass and their skills increase. I was such a student. My learning experience wasn't completely teacher dependent. Of all the teachers I had non- of them taught me everything they knew. There times where I excelled beyond the class and teachers taught me more than the rest of the class. Then there where times I sought out a tutor. Going through the educational system there was a point that I took responsibility for my own learning and knowledge.

Not all people who train in Aikido have the same aptitude for learning. Bad teachers are fully aware of students learning aptitude. The unethical motives and self gain agendas of these teaching are easily exposed. They withhold information in all sorts of ways from their students. Holding in a carrot in front of a student is one way these poor teachers do things to withhold information. Discrediting other schools, teachers and even the Founder by saying they have cheated their students by withhold information, is another way. Looking at a teacher it can be spotted whether or not they have the students best interest in mind.

There are students who take their own responsibility for their learning and then there are those who demand. The responsible students move forward and develop skill, not demanding to know everything the teacher knows. They are more self-confident in knowing they will progress and obtain that information. Because these students work hard with an non-dependent teacher attitude. The demanding ones who feel the teacher owns them something, will stay idle or progress very slowly in their development. A resentment toward the teacher develops strongly in the dependent student, because the student is lacking progression. The reason for that lacking of skill is due to the student not having self confidence; not aware taking responsibility for their learning plays a huge role in success, especially as the progress.

What I know of the late Founder, it is clear to me he had his student's best interest in mind. He had dedicated students that helped Aikido grow into what it is today. Selfish teachers don't last long, flashes in the pan. Teachers like this don't develop their organizations as big as Aikido. They don't even come close to having the goods.

Last edited by jackie adams : 04-02-2012 at 10:25 AM. Reason: tune up on the last couple of paragraphs.
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